Would you turn him?

lgenne

New member
DS2 is 3.5 years old. DH wants to turn him FF in general, but specifically for an upcoming trip. I think it would significantly decrease a lot of stress all around. I'll turn him back RF a few days later (the next opportunity for a car seat shuffle) unless it becomes a huge fight, either with DS2 or DH, either of which might happen, but probably neither.

This is in a 2013 Odyssey, in the +1 seat, probably in a Milestone; maybe in a Radian R100. Whichever one actually works in that spot. He'll stay RF pretty indefinitely in our Mazda 5.
 
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griffinej5

New member
I took my niece on a few several hour trips over the summer. She's 4.5, and between the first and second trips, I had to turn her. I was much happier with her backward, and that was a longer trip. There was a lot less are we there yet.
 

lgenne

New member
I won't be in the car for the trip. And he'll be watching videos either way. There are some complicated logistics involved; a lot of stuff would legitimately be easier if he FF'd.
 

jjordan

Moderator
My dd got turned around recently and it was a pain in the neck because she could no longer hold onto her travel toys. :) So, for us, logistics were easier with her RF. But I certainly won't fault you for FF a 3.5 year old if it makes your life easier.
 

1mommy

New member
Maybe you could try turning him forward for a few trips before hand to see how he does? Are you worried about head slump while ff? In my husbands car we turned around my son at 3, and it's generally only used for short trips to and from preschool which is 5-10 minutes away (I know statistically most car accidents happen close to home but still...) and then for a recent long trip I was concerned about him not sleeping well so I asked him which way he wanted to face and he said backwards so I shuffled the car seats around so he had the Graco Milestone rf, then halfway home on that long trip he said he wanted to forward face so I did. I can't remember if he slept a lot worse, but it can't have been that bad or I'd remember it.

Anyways this is my long winded way of saying that 3.5 year olds are still very safe ff if they are installed properly and harnessed correctly. I know I still feel a twinge of guilt for not rf him longer in dh's car but sometimes you need to do what you need to do to make things easier for you. For me what helped is that dh's truck has side curtain airbags.

Hope my reply helps in some way with whatever you decide.
 

gigi

New member
I would and did turn my daughter, a few months younger at the time than your son, under similar circumstances. I vote make your life easier!
 

lgenne

New member
Ok, I think I'll turn him today so he has a chance to get used to it before the trip. That way if he freaks out, we can reassess.
 

lgenne

New member
So I turned him. At first he was delighted. He was amazed by "all the signs! There are signs everywhere!" Also, "we are not crashing into anyone!" With the baby in the 2nd row and the older 2 in the 3rd row, they could all see each other. DH was super happy. (It's his primary vehicle.) So I left him FF.

Today, DS2 asked to be backwards again. I promised to turn him back around later today. Without consulting with DH first. Oops. DS2 was heartbroken that I couldn't turn him back around immediately.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Sounds like my nanny kiddo. I gave him the option just after he turned 4 - he picked FF. (He's been FF with his parents since just before he turned 2.) Two months later, he pointed to his sister and said, "Miss Carrie, I want to sit like C again. Iss more com-fa-ble." He spent the next year flipping back and forth, and every time he asked to go RF, it was VERY important to him. (Once was after a hard stop, when I almost hit the car in front of us. He decided he wanted to be 'safer' and was mad that I wouldn't flip him back RF in the parking lot before we went home - but I didn't have his RF seat with us! LOL!!)

Hope your DH isn't too mad!!
 

bnsnyde

New member
I found that for trips I always wanted them RF because they could sleep well! FF their heads slumped. Plus I felt good about RF on highways and such, with such huge amounts of speed.

Have a great trip, whichever way everyone is facing! :)
 

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